Sophocles, Ajax, Robert Potter (Translator), 173

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Chorus

Alas for my return! Ah, thou hast slain

With thee, O king, thy comrade in the bark.

O wretched me! O thou afflicted dame!

Ajax. Sophocles. Robert Potter (Translator). London. 1820.

Current edition Experimental

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Robert Potter, 1788))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (4)

Αἴας μαστιγοφόρος First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Aiax. Lobeck Christian, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1866.) — 172-201 focus

str. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

ᾖ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις,

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς,

ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσ’, ἀδώροις εἴτ’ ὲλαφηβολἐαις.

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ ἥντιν’ Ἐννυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων
180

ξυνοῦ δορὸς, ἐννυχίοις μαχαναῖς

ἐτίσατο λώβαν.

ant. 1

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

Οὐ, τοτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γ’ ἐπ’ ἀριστερὰ,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

τόσσον ὲν ποίμναις πίτνων·
185

ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλ’ ἀπερύκοι

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν ·

εἰ δ’ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,
190

μὴ, μή μ’, ἄναξ,

ἔθ’ ὦδ’ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις ὄμμ’ ἔχων

κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

ep.

ΧΟΡΟΣ

1

Ἀλλ’ ἄνα ἐς ἐδράνων, ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδ’ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ
195

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων

ἐχθρῶν δ’ ὕβρις ὧδ’ ἀτάρβηθ’

ὁρμᾶται ὲν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καγχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·
200

200 ἐμοὶ δ’ ἄχος ἕστακεν.

Αἴας First1KGreek (Sophocles. Sophoclis Fabulae. Pearson, Alfred Chilton, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924.) — 172-200 focus

str. 1

Χορός

1

ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις,

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς, ὥρ-

μασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσʼ, ἀδώροις εἴτʼ ἐλαφαβολίαις;

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ εἴ τινʼ Ἐνυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
180

μαχαναῖς ἐτείσατο λώβαν;

ant. 1

Χορός

1

οὔποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερά,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹

τόσσον ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων· ἥ-

κοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλʼ ἀπερύκοι
185

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν.

εἰ δʼ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς,

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,

μὴ μηκέτʼ, ὦναξ, ὧδʼ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις
190

ὄμμʼ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

ep.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἄνα ἐξ ἑδράνων

ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδʼ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ,

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων.
195

ἐχθρῶν δʼ ὕβρις ὧδʼ ἀτάρβητα

ὁρμᾶτʼ ἐν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·

ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἕστακεν.
200

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 173 focus

—ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 172-200 focus

Χορός

ἦ ῥά σε Ταυροπόλα Διὸς Ἄρτεμις—

ὦ μεγάλα φάτις, ὦ

μᾶτερ αἰσχύνας ἐμᾶς—

ὥρμασε πανδάμους ἐπὶ βοῦς ἀγελαίας,
175

ἦ πού τινος νίκας ἀκάρπωτον χάριν,

ἤ ῥα κλυτῶν ἐνάρων

ψευσθεῖσʼ, ἀδώροις, εἴτʼ ἐλαφαβολίας;

ἢ χαλκοθώραξ μή τινʼ Ἐνυάλιος

μομφὰν ἔχων ξυνοῦ δορὸς ἐννυχίοις
180

μαχαναῖς ἐτίσατο λώβαν;

182

Χορός

οὔ ποτε γὰρ φρενόθεν γʼ ἐπʼ ἀριστερά,

παῖ Τελαμῶνος, ἔβας

τόσσον, ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων·
185

ἥκοι γὰρ ἂν θεία νόσος· ἀλλʼ ἀπερύκοι

καὶ Ζεὺς κακὰν καὶ Φοῖβος Ἀργείων φάτιν.

εἰ δʼ ὑποβαλλόμενοι

κλέπτουσι μύθους οἱ μεγάλοι βασιλῆς

ἢ τᾶς ἀσώτου Σισυφιδᾶν γενεᾶς,
190

μὴ μή, ἄναξ, ἔθʼ ὧδʼ ἐφάλοις κλισίαις

ὄμμʼ ἔχων κακὰν φάτιν ἄρῃ.

193

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἄνα ἐξ ἑδράνων, ὅπου μακραίωνι

στηρίζει ποτὲ τᾷδʼ ἀγωνίῳ σχολᾷ

ἄταν οὐρανίαν φλέγων.
195

ἐχθρῶν δʼ ὕβρις ὧδʼ ἀτάρβητα

ὁρμᾶται ἐν εὐανέμοις βάσσαις,

πάντων καγχαζόντων

γλώσσαις βαρυάλγητα·

ἐμοὶ δʼ ἄχος ἕστακεν.
200

Translations (4)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 173 focus

TEC

Alas, my child! what slavish tasks and hard

We are drifting to! What eyes control our will!

Ay me! Through thy complaint

I hear the wordless blow

Of two high-throned, who rule without restraint

Of Pity. Heaven forfend

What evil they intend!

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 172 focus

Trieb dich die Tochter des Zeus, die Vertilgerin,

Artemis, schweres Gerücht, Quelle bitt'rer Schande mir!

Auf unsres Volkes Gut, in die weidenden Rinder,

Wohl wegen eines ohne Dank erkämpften Siegs,¹
175

Sei es um Gaben getäuscht

Von stolzer Rüstung oder um Beuten der Sagd?

Wie? Oder zürnt dir Ares im ehernen Kleid,

Hat, weil mit Undank ihm du die Hülfe gelohnt,

Dich gestraft mit nächtlichem Blendwerk?
180
Gegenstrophe.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 173 focus

Chorus

'Tis the man whose cause
1045

We came to fight, e'en Menelaus.
1045

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 172-200 focus

Chorus

Was it Artemis ruler of bulls, Zeus’s daughter, that drove you, O powerful Rumor, O mother of my shame,

drove you against the herds of all our people? Was she exacting retribution, perhaps, for a victory that had paid her no tribute, whether it was because she had been cheated of the glory of captured arms, or because a stag had been slain without gifts for recompense? Or can the bronze-cuirassed Lord of War
175

have had some cause for anger arising out of an alliance of spears, and taken vengeance for the outrage by contrivance shrouded in night?
180

182

Chorus

For never of your own heart alone, son of Telamon, would you have gone so far down the sinister path

as to fall upon the flocks. When the gods send madness, it cannot but reach its target, but may Zeus and Phoebus avert the evil rumor of the Greeks!
And if it is the great kings who slander you with their furtive stories,
185

or if it is he born of the abject line of Sisyphus, do not, my king, do not win me an evil name by keeping your face still hidden in the tent by the sea.
190

193

Chorus

Come now, up from your seat, wherever you are settled in this long-lived pause from battle

and are making the flame of disaster blaze up to the sky! The violent insolence of your enemies rushes fearlessly about in the breezy glens, while the tongues of all the army cackle out a load of grief.
195

For me, sorrow stands firmly planted.
200

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-529-1 αὐτὸς πρὸς αὑτοῦ ¹

mvp-comment-529-2 ἐν γάρ οἱ χθονί ² οἱ … πηκτὸν ³

mvp-comment-529-3 κατηγορεῖ ⁴

mvp-comment-529-4 περιπετὲς ⁵

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

907-908. mvp-comment-587-1 ἐν γὰρ. κατηγορεῖ] ‘For this sword which he has fixed in the ground, and over which he is fallen, witnesses against him.' Another would not so have slain him. οἱ is to be taken with πηκτόν and περιπετές, and suggests the object ( αὐτοῦ) of κατηγορεῖ. περιπετές is used passively. Essay on L. § 53. p. 99.

Sophocles Ajax 173

Robert Potter (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus

Alas for my return! Ah, thou hast slain

With thee, O king, thy comrade in the bark.

O wretched me! O thou afflicted dame!

Current edition Experimental

TEC

Alas, my child! what slavish tasks and hard

We are drifting to! What eyes control our will!

Ay me! Through thy complaint

I hear the wordless blow

Of two high-throned, who rule without restraint

Of Pity. Heaven forfend

What evil they intend!

Chorus

'Tis the man whose cause
1045

We came to fight, e'en Menelaus.
1045

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Chorus Alas for my return! Ah, thou hast slain With thee, O king, thy comrade in the bark. O wretched me! O thou afflicted dame!

Current edition Experimental

TEC Alas, my child! what slavish tasks and hard We are drifting to! What eyes control our will! Ay me! Through thy complaint I hear the wordless blow Of two high-throned, who rule without restraint Of Pity. Heaven forfend What evil they intend!

Chorus 'Tis the man whose cause 1045 We came to fight, e'en Menelaus. 1045

Commentary

Stable identifiers

Chorus

Alas for my return! Ah, thou hast slain

With thee, O king, thy comrade in the bark.

O wretched me! O thou afflicted dame!

TEC

Alas, my child! what slavish tasks and hard

We are drifting to! What eyes control our will!

Ay me! Through thy complaint

I hear the wordless blow

Of two high-throned, who rule without restraint

Of Pity. Heaven forfend

What evil they intend!

Chorus

'Tis the man whose cause
1045

We came to fight, e'en Menelaus.
1045